


Stay With Me

by cherrybombtriestowrite



Category: GOT7
Genre: Almost smut, M/M, Soz, slight angst, teacher!hyungline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-24 08:03:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8364358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherrybombtriestowrite/pseuds/cherrybombtriestowrite
Summary: Jaebum meets an old friend he never thought he'd meet again, but he's afraid the friend might not remember him anymore. (jackbum teacher au)





	1. If I say it’s easy, it’ll be a lie

**Author's Note:**

> yes, the title is named after the Jay Park song
> 
> go listen to Everything You Wanted now

"He's the new P.E teacher?" Jaebum asks, looking at the portfolio picture on before him and assessing every aspect of it. "This photo looks like a magazine shoot close up."

Jaebum is referring to the photo of the newest addition to the prep school staff, the topic of everyone's interest this new semester. It usually isn't that big of a deal because a new teacher would mean another old person in the teacher's lounge, but this isn't the case this time. The new teacher is young and handsome, which will blend him in just fine with the other young teachers in the faculty; Jaebum, Jinyoung, and Mark. The reason for this poor ratio between young and old teachers is because this prestigious school refuses to accept young teachers unless they're a well qualified educator or an alumni, or both. Jaebum and Jinyoung fit both the criteria, having been a student in this school and then attended a top university together. Mark easily impressed them with his creative writing degree from America.

Even so, all three of them never planned on being a teacher here. Jaebum's making use of the degree to make an earning as he composes on the side while Jinyoung has no concise idea what to do after graduation so he followed Jaebum as he figure things out. No one actually knows why Mark came to Korea; he changes his reason every time and they got tired of asking. Jaebum wonders what this new teacher has up his sleeves.

Judging by his portfolio photo, Jaebum easily concluded that he is a remarkably photogenic man with an excellent face and...blonde hair. _Definitely dyed._ His smile in the photo somehow manages to make Jaebum smile after a decade of staring at it. Jaebum doesn't know if he's ever seen a man this good looking, and he hasn't even seen him in person yet.

"He's not a P.E teacher." Jinyoung sighs, pushing his glasses up as he leans back in his chair. "He's a physical health teacher and the school's new fencing coach."

"An assistant to the current one? What's his name...geez, I can't remember." Jaebum mutters, racking his brain for a name.

"No, the current one quit last week. Jackson is going to be the principal coach."

"Isn't he too young? He's," Jaebum scans the photo again. "probably the same age as me."

"Extra fun fact: he's from Hong Kong." Mark butts in, holding his usual morning cup of steaming hot coffee.

"Fun-er fact," Jinyoung adds, trying to one-up Mark, "Jackson is a top fencer in Asia. Well, _was_. He had an injury a few seasons back and now he's back to coach. The headmaster hired him so our fencers can go international like Jackson or something."

Mark gasps in awe, going on to ask for the full story from Jinyoung who gladly spills the beans for him. Jaebum has tuned out, his mind rushing back into the deep parts of his repressed memories. Cutting Mark off, Jaebum asks, "What did you say his name is?" 

"Jackson." Jinyoung says, passing Jaebum the portfolio itself. "Jackson Wang Jia Er."

Jaebum audibly gulps as he slouches in his chair and reads through the portfolio. _Fuck, fuck, fuck_ , he mutters to himself. _This can't be real, this can't be him._

Everything in his mind seems to add up with what he's reading. Jackson is the same age as him, Jackson is a fencer, Jackson is from Hong Kong. Most importantly, Jackson's prior affiliation with the school is that he was here when he was 16 for two weeks as part of a fencing program.

Jaebum was 17.

And yet, he remembers everything like it was just yesterday.

 

xxxxx

 

"Jaebum-ah, you're gawking."

Jaebum snaps out of his stare at Mark's words, realizing just that. He was gawking. It's hardly his fault; Jackson is just standing there, in all his glory. The headmaster has a hand on his shoulder as he introduces the Hong Kong fencer to the students during the morning assembly. Jaebum sits behind them with the other teachers, all of them whispering about Jackson. Jaebum doesn't mind, as his eyes are guiltily stuck on Jackson's well toned body that is defined even further with his choice of outfit today. His casual fitted long sleeved black pullover and jeans definitely suits him better than it will ever for Jaebum. Or at least, Jaebum thinks so.

He can't help but compare him to the Jackson he met years ago. That Jackson had long black hair that annoyingly covers his face and wears baggy clothes. The Jackson before him today has dyed blonde hair and is embracing his figure with that stellar outfit.

_I had that ridiculous boy band hair, though. He must not be able to remember me without it now._

After the assembly, the headmaster introduces Jackson to the teachers and Jaebum makes sure his casually styled hair (as opposed to his usual coconut style) doesn't look like he tried too hard and he puts on his most indifferent face. He hears Jackson already approaching Jinyoung, shaking his hand and repeating his name for the hundredth time this morning.

"I teach literature, though I'm still in my training period." Jinyoung introduces himself, in which Jaebum notices how Jackson looks more comfortable talking to him than with the other teachers before who are all at least twice his age.

"I'm Mark, the English teacher. I'm glad we'll have another English speaker here, you have no idea." Mark says, earning a friendly hand on his shoulder and a laugh from Jackson. Jaebum gets nervous. Jinyoung and Mark are very likable - what if he finds Jaebum amazingly boring and stuck up? This will be Jackson's second first impression of Jaebum, and he can't mess it up.

"Hi, I can't believe I'm repeating this for the millionth time, but I'm Jackson Wang and I'm the new physical health teacher. Also fencing coach blah blah blah." Jackson cheerfully introduces himself to Jaebum, much to his surprise as he was busy arranging his introduction. He looks at Jackson's extended hand before him. He softly shakes it and notes how rough but nice it feels, just like how he remembers it.

"Im Jaebum, music teacher." Is all Jaebum manages to spit out. He curses himself for forgetting all the witty things he had lined up in his head.

Jackson has on a shocked face, much like a pleasantly surprised one. He smiles, his hand still holding Jaebum's, and says, "Wow, that was chic. Chic-est. You must be the heart breaker teacher here."

Jinyoung laughs and adds, "With you here, there are only 4 young teachers and Jaebum has been the female students' favorite thus far, but maybe you can change that."

"Really? I can't possibly do that." Jackson says, finally releasing Jaebum's hand much to his dismay. Instead, he puts an arm around Jaebum casually, pulling him in. "Jaebum is too handsome for words."

With a blush creeping on his cheeks, Jaebum wants to voice his disagreement and most probably embarrass himself by stating how much more handsome Jackson is. He is stopped when Mark quickly interjects, "You should call him hyung since he's older. He's really serious about all that stuff."

"Ah-- hyung it is. Jaebummie hyung." Jackson cheerily says, smiling at Jaebum. Jaebum can't help but to smile as well, already drunk on Jackson's strong cologne. Jackson makes sure the older teachers are out of range when he leans it towards them, making Jaebum nervous for absolutely no reason. Jackson whispers, "I just got here, like, a week ago. I haven't been able to scout for good clubs around here, any idea?"

"Hell yes." Mark immediately replies, giving him a low five. "Scouting for clubs was the first thing I did when I came here."

"Really? I was just thinking of doing that tonight."

Jackson continues chatting on with Mark in English, leaving Jaebum and Jinyoung clueless. They know Mark doesn't mean to leave them behind; he's just excited any time he gets to meet with anyone who speaks English. When the two foreigners start mixing Mandarin in their conversation, Jaebum and Jinyoung back away slowly with raised eyebrows. 

"What a chatterbox. I hope this place doesn't dull him down." Jinyoung says, nudging Jaebum. "What do you think of him?"

Jaebum is staring at the floor as Jinyoung's words enter his left ear and exits the right. Right now, his mind has only one thought: Jackson does not remember him. Jaebum wouldn't admit it but he was waiting for a gasp from Jackson as he realizes who Jaebum was. He was waiting for Jackson to give him the biggest hug imaginable or tear up or something. _Nothing_. Nothing happened and Jaebum was introduced like he was just any other teacher here. Jaebum looks at Jinyoung with the same empty eyes and asks, "Jinyoung, don't you remember?"

"Remember what?"

"High school."

"Jaebum, we're teachers here. Other than college, we literally never left--"

"No, but--" Jaebum turns to make sure Jackson is still occupied with Mark, feeling more than a tinge of jealousy in his stomach, "Don't you remember Jackson?"

"Oh, yeah. I read that in his portfolio, too. Foreign students visited all the time anyways, so I don't really remember Jackson. Besides, he was here for a fencing thing. I was in the book club, remember?"

Jaebum laughs a little at this. "Right. And I was in a dance crew."

"Also, his hair is blonde right now. He probably looks different with black hair. Remember when you dyed your hair silver in coll--"

Jaebum puts a hand over Jinyoung's mouth when Jackson and Mark approaches them after that multilingual conversation. Jaebum wipes his hand on Jinyoung's shirt and laughs nervously. "How many languages did you guys manage to talk in?"

"Only 3 so far! I'll see if we can add more." Jackson answers, absolutely not joking in any way. "So, if I find a decent club around here, are you guys down to join me? Maybe this weekend..."

"I'll add you in our group text and you can update us there." Jinyoung says, taking his phone out and letting Jackson type his number in. He's happy that after a year, the three-member group now has a fourth addition. "Finally, we're an even number."

While Mark and Jinyoung are discussing which bars and dance clubs are the best, Jackson is typing away on the phone, trying to remember his new phone number. Jaebum can't seem to stop himself from staring at the way Jackson scrunches up his eyebrows and the way the rings on his fingers glisten as he types. After about 10 years of just appreciating the sight that is Jackson Wang up close, his gaze is broken when Jackson looks up and catches him staring. Jaebum could only muster a small smile which is replied by a wink from Jackson. Jaebum tells himself to contain his very strong desire to shake Jackson's shoulder and yell _DON'T YOU REMEMBER ME?!_

Jackson tilts his head and smiles mischievously at Jaebum. "Especially you, hyung. Don't bail out on me, okay?"

 _Never_ , he thinks. "I'll see." Is what Jaebum replies instead. He doesn't know what he's getting from acting so cold, but he isn't going to lie and admit that he's pissed. _How can he not remember me?_ Jaebum looks down and curses himself for killing his own mood with thoughts like that. Unable to be in the presence of the blonde-haired boy anymore, Jaebum leaves with the excuse of getting to his class before the students do. He catches a glimpse of Jackson's raised eyebrow but doesn't pay much mind to it.

He has to think of ways to make him remember.

xxxxx

_Jaebum came late to school that day. He never liked going to school, much less this preppy institution. But he's a good boy who listens to his parents, so he does as told (he won't admit it but he agreed because the school has a great music program). He stayed up the night before dyeing his hair, taking advantage of the dress code adjustment the school made just the week before. He wanted to try out the blonde dye he saw an idol have on TV, and it didn't turn out too bad. In fact, he spent too much effort on it that he was late for school._

_"That's 5 points off, Im Jaebum-sshi." The teacher greets him as he enters the class sweating from running all the way from home. The teacher glances at his hair and sighs. "Why am I not surprised that you're the first one to do that."_

_Jaebum doesn't say anything and sits at his usual spot, annoyed by the stares he's getting. I'm dyeing it black tonight, fuck it. He purposely ignores Jinyoung's muffled laughter and sighs. After getting kicked in the leg for the millionth time, he turns to face his friend and Jinyoung does the Sorry Sorry dance, probably implying that that's what inspired his new hair. He's offended that Jinyoung would assume that, even though that is exactly what happened. Jaebum holds back from throwing a pencil at his stupid face. He then feels a kick from behind and turns to see his friend from his dance crew._

_"What?" He asks, still annoyed by how the day is going so far._

_"Practice is cancelled today." His friend says, showing absolutely no interest in teasing his hair._

_"What? But I had a new routine to show."_

_"Jinwoo's got a fencing thing after school."_

_"What fencing thing?"_

_"How should I know? He's excused from classes the whole day, too. Lucky bastard."_

_Jaebum leaves the conversation at that, feeling even more annoyed because he was looking forward to the practice. Come recess, Jaebum avoids the large crowd at the cafeteria and chooses to sneak away to the gym instead. He'll stick out like a sore thumb with his stupid blonde hair, and that's the last thing he needs from this day._

_With earphones in, he enters the locker room using the key he stole before he quit the basketball team. He takes his school jacket off and lies down on the bench, jiving to the song playing. He knows basketball season just passed, so no one would be in here except for him. A smile creeps on his face as he sing along to the D'Angelo song he's been practicing for the past week. He closes his eyes as he imagines singing this in front of a crowd some day, rather than in an empty locker room by himself._

_"Feeling that I am feeling,_  
_Won't you come closer to me baby,_  
_You've already got me right where you want me baby,_  
_I just wanna be your man." He sings, belting the lines out in perfect tune._

_After getting over the chorus and feeling satisfied by it, he opens his eyes and is met with another set of eyes looking down at him. Jaebum has never sat up that fast in his life, a surge of panic and shock going through him. He turns to see a boy with a grin on his face and a weird looking costume on. This isn't that big of a school, but Jaebum was sure he's never seen this boy around before. As a matter of fact, he's definitely sure he'll remember a face as...pretty as that._

_"You have a nice voice." The boy says in English. Jaebum has gotten sufficient English education, but he hates speaking it because he thinks he sounds like an uneducated try hard. In this case, he's forced to..._

_"Thank you." He answers with the shocked look still plastered on his face. He continues in Korean, "Who are you? I thought basketball season's over? What are you wearing?"_

_"That's a lot of questions I can’t possibly understand." The boy replies in English, laughing._

_Jaebum purses his lips and thinks hard. "Are you...basketball player?"_

_The boy laughs and gestures at his costume. "I'm obviously a fencer, man! I do play basketball, though."_

_The information finally pieces up in his head after a minute of thinking. Jaebum lets out an awkward 'oh' and looks away. The boy before him has the same boy band hair cut as him, but still black and not gel styled like him. The boy has his hair cover his face but leaving enough to be cute. Jaebum can't handle the gaze on him and he wishes he isn't in this awkward situation._

_"I'm Jackson Wang." The boy introduces himself, extending a hand._

_Jaebum shakes his hand and smiles. "Im Jaebum."_

_After a whole minute of Jackson trying to pronounce his name, he gives up and asks, "Can I just call you D'Angelo, then? That’s what you were listening to, right?" Jaebum laughs at this and shakes his head. Jackson seriously considers it and asks, "D'Angelo, right? Or how about...D'Soul? Your voice was so full of soul, seriously." Jaebum finds himself unable to stop laughing, feeling a great vibe just by being near Jackson. Jackson sighs and says, "I'll just call you J, then... JB!"_

_Jaebum can't say no, especially with Jackson's excited puppy face staring at him. He sighs, "Okay, sure. JB is okay." Jackson excitedly claps, making Jaebum's heart burst into flames at such a cute sigh. Jaebum asks, "Where are you from?"_

_"Hong Kong! I'm here for a fencing program with the school. Korea is so interesting, I might need to come back here by myself some day." Jackson excitedly says, his gestures excessive and adorable._

_Jaebum doesn't realize it but he's slowly inching closer towards Jackson like metal to a magnet. He asks, "How long are you here for?_

_"2 weeks." Jackson answers with a pout. Jaebum feels his heart drop at such a short period mentioned. Before he could say his thoughts, he hears the school bell ring. Groaning at the thought class, he stands up and puts his jacket back on. Jackson stands up as well, letting Jaebum see his fencing uniform clearly._

_"I...uh..." Jaebum doesn't really know what to say. He wonders if it's wrong to ask if he could see Jackson everyday until he leaves, because that’s exactly what he wants to do. "Will you be here tomorrow?"_

_Jackson's face lights up as he nods excitedly. "Can we meet here again? I really want to hear you sing again."_

_Jaebum gulps at the thought of singing to Jackson. In normal situations, he would decline, but this certainly isn't a normal situation. He watches as Jackson skips away to continue his practice, leaving Jaebum alone. Jaebum's day suddenly doesn't seem all that bad._

 

xxxxx

 

"Teacher, is something wrong?"

Jaebum is shaken back into reality by Youngjae, his student. He scratches the back of his neck and laughs nervously. "No, why?"

"You've been in the clouds. Like, the whole period. It's seriously weird." Youngjae replies. "I can't tell if you're in love or just really weird."

Jaebum holds himself back from giving Youngjae a nougie, nudging him slightly instead. "Get out of here."

That has been how he spent the rest of his day teaching in the music room. He assigns the kids some work as he continues to recall his memories, making sure he has the facts right.  _It can't be a mistake, how many Hong Kong fencers named Jackson are there?_

"I have been out of it today as well, I'm sorry." Youngjae says sheepishly, laughing that usual laughter Jaebum has grown accustomed to. "The new physical health teacher is not easy at all. I didn't know I was capable of doing that many push-ups."

"A-ah...physical health," Jaebum stutters and gets flustered out of nowhere, turning to face Youngjae. "Jackson?" 

"Yeah, you must've met him. Handsome guy, great body--"

Jaebum throws him a what-do-you-mean look which is meant to be threatening, but Youngjae takes it as a funny gesture instead.

"What? He was wearing a shirt that accentuates his figure, it isn't my fault." Youngjae laughs. "Anyways, I can't feel my arms anymore so that's why I messed up the piano piece just now."

"That's alright, I didn't even notice." Jaebum waves it off. "I need to, uh, go."

And with that, Jaebum rushes out the class with his bag. If he needs to go to the gym right now, it's purely because he's not hungry and wants to avoid the recess crowd. He spends a lot of time there anyway.

Avoiding the teachers' lounge, Jaebum decides to just carry his bag all the way to the gym. He doesn't need Jinyoung and Mark to barrage him with questions regarding his whereabouts right now. He just needs to see Jackson. For whatever reason.

During his high school graduation, Jaebum left the key to the locker room behind, thinking he wouldn't need it anymore. Besides, it bears a lot of memories he doesn't need to be reminded of. But since he became a teacher and steps foot in the school again, he immediately stole the key and made a copy of it. He creeps in there during certain days when he needs a place to gather his thoughts and write. Brilliant songs have come out of that room, and only he knows it. 

He enters the gym slowly, making sure not to make too much noise so he gets in through the back door. The gym isn't used much outside of basketball season - the previous physical health teachers were old farts who lets the kids use the period to study for other subjects. But it seems that Jackson must've made use of that dusty old place. Shaking the thought away, Jaebum hurriedly takes the key out of his wallet and unlocks the door hastily.

"Hyung, we know official trainings start next week, but we’re interested in joining the fencing team." A voice echoes throughout the gym.

Jaebum takes a peek at the court where Jackson is picking up mats and two boys are helping him. Jaebum squints hard to see who it is and he is 50% sure it's Yugyeom and Bambam. Those two were in his class last year and also in the dance crew he’s mentoring. He’s marked them as trouble makers who never seem to get caught, though he enjoys their company. He wonders if Yugyeom is really that much of a rascal to address Jackson as 'hyung' or if Jackson insists on being called that. It took Jaebum a whole month before he warmed up to the idea of letting students address him as ‘hyung’ instead of ‘teacher’ because of how young he looks.

"Ah, Yugyeommie, right? And Bambam!" Jackson exclaims, excited that he remembers their names. Jaebum chuckles at the memory of Jackson getting his name wrong every single time they met. "Hold on, let me clear this place up first."

"We'll help you, don't worry. Just sit over there, hyung." Bambam tells him, pushing Jackson aside to gather the mats. 

Jackson squeals at the kind act and pats their backs excitedly, going on about how sweet they are. Yugyeom's face turns red as he laughs at how adorable Jackson is acting. Jaebum isn't amused at this cute exchange, but he deeply appreciates Jackson's cute attitude that he never realized he misses so much. But first of all, Jaebum knows, for sure, that these boys have zero interest in fencing. They’re too busy training for a talent search next month to join any other activities. Jaebum contemplates on stepping into the court to spill the beans on these boys, but he remembers the fact that he has no business being in the gym right now. The last thing he needs is Yugyeom and Bambam interrogating him in front of Jackson.

Standing by the side, Jackson brushes his hair back and drinks water, looking majestic as ever just by doing nothing in Jaebum’s eyes. He is indeed wearing an Under Armor shirt that hugs his figure, along with pants that shows his calves. Jaebum wants to see this sight every single day if he could.

“I know you guys aren’t interested in fencing.” Jackson suddenly says, making both boys and also the hiding Jaebum to pause in shock. “But it’s okay. Just tell me what you guys want.”

Yugyeom laughs nervously as he puts away the last roll of mat. Bambam starts, “We just wanted to get to know you, hyung. Make friends, you know? It isn't everyday that we get a new teacher who isn't a million years old.”

“Yeah, you seem like a cool teacher.” Yugyeom adds. “The type who’d even play with us.”

“Why, aren’t the other young teachers fun?” Jackson asks, laughing at how innocent this is. Jaebum has to cover his mouth with his hand to muffle his laughter because of how out of character they seem.

“They were at first, but after a while they kinda got boring.” Yugyeom pouts.

“What about Jaebum?” Jaebum’s eyes widens at the mention of his name from Jackson’s mouth. Jackson looks genuinely interested.

Bambam starts laughing and says, “Jaebum hyung is the most boring. Jinyoung hyung wants to kill us every time he sees us, but at least he makes it fun. Mark hyung buys us food sometimes.”

“Oh come on, Jaebum hyung is fun outside of school grounds.” Yugyeom nudges Bambam.

“You meet him outside of school?” Jackson asks.

“Yeah, he mentors the dance crew we’re in. It was his old crew - he’s a really good dancer. Don't know why he stopped.”

Jackson nods at all this information and continues to listen as Bambam recalls of how Jinyoung chased Yugyeom across the hall once. Jaebum gives up on sneaking in and puts the key back in his wallet. He stealthily sneaks out of the gym and walks back to the class. He doesn’t realize it until he notices students looking at him weird, but he has been smiling since he left the gym.

 

xxxxx

 

_“No way.”_

_“Come on, it’s not even that spicy.”_

_“When I said I wanted Korean food, I meant meat and soup or something. Not this!”_

_Jaebum clutches his stomach as he laughs at Jackson’s dramatic personality. Jackson is facing an actual existential crisis as he looks at the spoonful of kimchi jjigae Jaebum is trying to feed him._

_“It will be okay, really.” Jaebum assures him._

_Thinking hard, Jackson asks with a raised eyebrow, “What do I get if I eat it?”_

_Unable to think up anything he is willing to sacrifice, Jaebum replies, “I don’t know. Whatever you want, I guess.”_

_Jaebum had met Jackson again after their first encounter. He promised to give Jackson an authentic Korean experience while he’s here, starting with Jaebum's favorite: food. Jackson was so cute, clinging excitedly onto Jaebum as they walked towards the restaurant and going on about how he's ignoring his rigid diet for this. Jaebum didn’t tell Jinyoung about this because he knows how hard Jinyoung is gonna laugh at Im ‘I hate English’ Jaebum speaking so much English all of a sudden. In fact, he picked a restaurant that's out of town just so he doesn't have to worry about bumping into anyone from school. They're sitting in a booth at the back of the restaurant, enjoying each other's company without a worry in the world._

_“A kiss.” Jackson suggests with an innocent smile._

_It take Jaebum a minute to register the request. He has never kissed a boy, platonically or not. He doesn't even know if he likes boys or not. But he absolutely does not mind kissing such a cute face, though he doesn’t say it. “Deal.”_

_Jackson opens his mouth as Jaebum feeds him the jjigae, waiting for his reaction. Jackson’ face instantly turns into a pained one and it scares Jaebum for a second before he bursts into laughter at how much Jackson is already sweating. Jaebum passes him a glass of water and rubs his back, still laughing in the midst of Jackson’s misery. Finally cooling down, Jackson immediately scolds him, “You are such a liar! That was a spoonful of lies! I don’t handle spicy food well, you know. I could’ve died—“_

_Jackson’s whining is cut short when Jaebum pulls him in by the shoulder and kisses his temple. Jackson’s shocked face contorts into a mischievous one as he complains, “Hey…that’s not fair. It has to be on the cheek.”_

_Rolling his eyes, Jaebum complies. He did, after all, make Jackson eat that piping hot jjigae. As he pulls Jackson in again, he aims for the cheek but what meets his lips is another pair of lips. Jackson intended to add something else to his demand, but he turned his head right at the moment Jaebum leaned in for the kiss. They immediately pull apart from each other, looking away to hide their beet red faces._

_After a minute of awkward silence, Jackson breaks it with his laughter. He touches his lips and mutter, “…that wasn’t too bad, though?”_

_Unable to hold in his laughter, Jaebum joins in as well. He admits it with a nod, the kiss was actually…okay. In fact, he’d do it again. Boldly and not thinking much, Jaebum says, “I can do it better when I’m prepared.”_

_Shocked by his confidence, Jackson smiles at the offer and says, “Bring it on, then.”_

_As they both lean in, Jaebum hovers over Jackson’s lips for a while. He isn’t second guessing this, but rather mentally preparing himself for the fact that he’s kissing another guy. Voluntarily. Two boys. In a restaurant. Jackson leans further, tired of waiting for Jaebum to make the move. The kiss is a chaste and innocent one, and Jaebum can't seem to get enough as he leans in to kiss him again. And again. They continue with the soft innocent kisses, even changing the positions of their heads. It is only when Jaebum softly bites Jackson’s lower lip that he feels a hand pushing him away gently._

_“I’m sorry, but…” Jackson starts, making Jaebum’s heart drop 10 feet under. “…our food is still waiting for us.”_

_Letting out a relieved laugh, Jaebum hit’s Jackson’s arm. He mutters, “I thought you were going to tell me to stop kissing you.”_

_“I am telling you to stop kissing me, but only because I’m pretty sure my meat is burnt by now.” Jackson jokes, flipping the meat over. He looks at Jaebum’s smitten face and adds, “Don't worry, we’ll definitely continue this later.”_

 


	2. Please love me the same

Jaebum has avoided Jackson like a plague for the whole week. It’s not that he meant to, but he just seems to turn into a ball of nothingness when faced with the blonde. It doesn’t help that Mark and Jinyoung have been eating lunch with him, because it means that Jaebum has to spend recess in the music room. His excuse is that he needs to organize his study plan. He'd rather eat alone than having constant flashbacks run through his head every time he hears Jackson laugh or look at his smiling face.

It is Friday and Jaebum doesn’t remember the inevitable plan for the night as he had also avoided checking the group text. When school ends, he wonders why the day seemed so short, forgetting the fact that he spent half of it dreaming up scenarios and contemplating on whether he should remind Jackson of who he is. He walks down the hallway with his backpack, almost assimilating with the students with his young looks. He feels a tap on his shoulder and turns to see the very person he spent the whole week thinking of.

"Hi hyung!" He greets him, looking excited as ever. Jaebum smiles at how this is exactly the way he remembers Jackson. 

"Jackson."  _Jesus, Jaebum. Get it together and greet like a decent human being._

You're coming with us tonight, right?" Jackson asks, making a few students walking by them glance.

"I have nothing to do anyways." Jaebum replies. It is painfully true; his Friday nights are usually just filled with some song-writing and composing with the aid of some sikhye or soju. He lives alone anyway, so he can do what he wants.

Jackson stands in front of him, stopping him from moving any further. Jackson puts on the cutest pout Jaebum has ever seen and Jaebum thinks he would fall if he walks because his legs are turning into noodles. "I survived a whole week of updating the fitness database and facing spoiled kids, you could at least be happy for me."

Jaebum sighs and says, "If I can't be happy for you, can I at least be sorry for you?"

"Sorry for what?" Jackson asks with a frown.

 _Sorry for having such a shitty memory_. "Sorry for having gotten this job."

Rolling his eyes, Jackson scratches the back of his neck and mutters, "Yeah, I could've still been a fencer instead of some P.E teacher..."

Sensing that familiar tone in his voice, Jaebum is sure his words had hurt Jackson. Jinyoung did mention an injury that stopped Jackson from continuing competitive fencing (which was also one of the things that has been floating in the clouds of Jaebum's thoughts). Jaebum knows he hates it every time people mentioned his back injury that caused him to stop B-boying, or how he would've been a great dancer by now, so he immediately regrets saying what he said. He has been bearing anger throughout the day, but to let it out on Jackson himself... "I didn't mean it like that, Jackson. I was just saying--"

"Just come tonight, okay?" Jackson cuts him off, patting his shoulder. "Or I'd be really sad."

Jaebum stands in his spot like a statue as he watches Jackson walk away from him.  _Fuck._

 

 

 

"Wow, hyung. I don't know if it's just been ages since we last went clubbing, but you look really young tonight." Jinyoung says as soon as the door to Jaebum's apartment is opened. "Maybe not young. But youthful."

"Yeah, remember when he wore a cardigan at that birthday party? You know, the one at the club with the strippers. A cardigan." Mark adds, laughing and shaking his head.

"Is this a roasting session? Because I didn't ask for this." Jaebum retorts, rolling his eyes. So he had put in more effort in his outfit today, so what. It's just a leather jacket and ripped jeans. 

"Jackson is gonna cream his pants." Jinyoung comments, crashing on the sofa uninvited and laughing. Mark frowns and throws a pillow at him, exclaiming a loud ‘ew’.

Turning around so fast he might have gotten whiplash, Jaebum looks at Jinyoung quizzically. “What do you mean?”

Ignoring Jaebum, Mark says, “He’ll cream his pants no matter what Jaebum wears, as long as Jaebum comes.”

“What do you guys mean?” Jaebum asks, louder this time.

Jinyoung laughs at how oblivious Jaebum is, shaking his head. “What would you know? You’ve been avoiding him all week. What do you think we talk about most of the time.”

Dumbstruck, Jaebum points to himself and stutters, “M-me?”

“ _What is Jaebum like? Does he hate me or something? Will Jaebum join us this Friday night?_ ” Mark says in a poor impersonation of Jackson.

“Yeah, we told him you’re not usually  _this_  big of a dick.  _Maybe Jaebum doesn’t like you._  We’re surprised you’re even coming.” Jinyoung says, texting away on his phone and not even looking up.

“Why would you say that?!” Jaebum exclaims angrily. This causes both his friends to look at him, perplexed at that sudden outburst.

Shrugging, Mark says, “What else did you expect us to say?”

Rubbing his temple, Jaebum groans. “I’m already an asshole to him, now he’s going to think I hate him.”

As Jaebum wallows in his dilemma, Mark stands up and heads towards the kitchen, where he somehow knows Jaebum keeps his stash of liquor. “Whatever it is, let’s pre game first.”

“This isn’t your American college anymore, hyung.” Jinyoung says, heading towards the kitchen as well. “But sure, let’s get wasted before getting wasted later.”

 

 

The three of them arrive at the club, each of them having had at least 2 bottles of beer already. The line to enter is significantly long, but apparently at just the mention of Jackson’s name, they get to enter without a fuss. Mark finds this amazing as he had only just introduced Jackson to this club a few days ago and yet it seems like he owns the club already.

“What took you guys so long?” Jackson whines as soon as he sees the three of them. He drapes himself on Mark, clearly having had a few drinks himself already. “I got started without you guys.”

“We had a few drinks first because Mark insists that it’s an honorable American tradition to do so.” Jinyoung says, his cheeks tinted red.

Jackson laughs and his eyes darts towards Jaebum who’s standing behind Jinyoung with his hands in the pocket of his jeans. Jackson takes about a minute trying to mentally capture the image of Jaebum in this outfit with his hair gelled back before he says, “I see you came.”

Jinyoung softly whispers to Jaebum, “I told you. He’s gonna cream his—“

Pushing Jinyoung’s face aside, Jaebum smiles at Jackson. “Why, you thought I won’t?”

“It’ll make sense, seeing that you’ve been avoiding me the whole week.” Jackson outrightly points out, the drinks he had making him bolder and more honest.

A little taken aback, Jaebum scoffs. “I had my reasons.”

“Noona! Can I get a round of that green stuff for my friends? Thank you!” Jackson exclaims to the bob-haired bartender who replies him with a wink. Jackson turns back to the guys and grins. “None of you are going to be able to drive after we leave this place, that’s for sure.”

 

 

The thing about Jaebum that not many knows is...he gets sentimental when he's drunk. He turns into all shades of romantic and pensiveness. That’s why he drinks when he composes; it gives him the best result. Getting drunk when he's in the vicinity of Jackson is a mistake, but he doesn't care anymore. He frustrated at the way Jackson treats him like a new friend. It may have been his fault for avoiding Jackson, but he knows that tonight is the time for him to fix this. He watches as Jackson is in the middle of the dance crowd, dancing and talking to the strangers around him. Jaebum frowns at the way they're all looking at Jackson and takes it upon himself to lift his ass off the bar stool and make his way into the crowd. He steers himself past the many people and stops as soon as he is a person away from Jackson. The blonde immediately spots him and his face lights up by a billion watts.

"Hyung! Finally joining the party it seems." Jackson ignores the people he was talking to and moves to grab Jaebum closer to him. Both their faces are flushed, but Jaebum might have drank more liquid courage than he should. Jackson holds him by the hand, concerned with the way he's so drunk he's swaying like a pole.

"I've had enough, Jackson-ah." He groans, oblivious of how close he is to Jackson, sandwiched by the other gyrating bodies around them. He puts both hands on Jackson's cheeks and asks, "You know?"

Surprised but delighted at this, Jackson laughs and holds Jaebum's hands, sliding them down to his neck. "What are you talking about, hyung?"

“I don’t hate you.” Jaebum states, staring deep into his eyes and scaring Jackson a little. He knows Jaebum has been drinking a little too much, but this eye contact in the middle of the dance floor is pretty intense. Jaebum mutters, "Don't you remember me?"

Frowning, Jackson moves in closer and exclaims over the loud music, "What? I can't hear you!"

Frustrated, Jaebum sighs and slides both his hands down until he's hugging Jackson's waist, pulling him closer than necessary until their bodies are warm against each other. Suddenly, it feels like they're in an isolated place, just the two of them. Not in a club, not in the middle of a dance floor. It's just Jaebum and Jackson, hugging each other. Jackson timidly puts his hands around Jaebum's shoulders, wondering if this is real and the cold Jaebum is  _really_  this close to him. Jaebum puts his face next to Jackson's, his mouth next to Jackson's ear as he hides the tears welling up in his eyes. He wants Jackson to remember him so desperately. Unable to speak louder as his voice might break, he whispers, "Don't you remember me?"

Jackson feels a shiver run through his spine, though he is unable to decipher what Jaebum said in the midst of some trap music playing. "Hyung, the music is too loud."

Giving up, Jaebum clutches him closer and buries his head in Jackson's shoulder.  _To hell with being discreet_ , he tells himself.  _After all these years, I deserve to have you close to me like this again._

Feeling absolutely elated at the fact that Im Jaebum is hugging him, Jackson continues to draw circles on Jaebum's back as they slowly sway in contrary to the upbeat music. He ignores the way Jaebum's face in his neck makes him feel, savoring the moment instead. He's concerned as to why Jaebum is acting this way, wondering if this is normal drunk behavior. If Jaebum is this clingy and cute when he's drunk, Jackson wants him to drink everyday.

At this point though, Jaebum is crying into Jackson's shoulder rather subtly. He lets the tears dry very quickly and lifts his head. He faces Jackson who looks back at him with the warmest eyes Jaebum has ever seen. His hands on Jackson's waist clutches the fabric of Jackson's shirt as Jaebum wonders, would our kiss still feel the same? He pauses for a moment, wondering if Jackson even likes guys. What if I was a one time thing to him? An experiment?

"Just do it." Jackson suddenly says. Jaebum realizes that he has been staring at Jackson's lips for the past few minutes and a relieved smile appears on his lips as his doubts disappear. He leans in and hovers over Jackson's lips for a moment, savoring this thrill surging in his veins. Jackson closes the gap instantly, his hands pulling Jaebum in. The kiss goes deep immediately when Jackson bites Jaebum's lower lips and Jaebum doesn't think much but to just engage into french kissing in the middle of the crowded dance floor. Jaebum now believes that when it's done with the right person, PDA makes total sense and you'd feel like you're not in a public place even when you're dry humping your partner in a park. Jaebum doesn't even realize how far his hands have traveled until Jackson moans in his mouth when Jaebum's hands are practically squeezing his ass. Jaebum feels himself getting hard just at the sight of Jackson clinging on to him and kissing him so hard Jaebum is sure his lip has a cut from all that biting. Jaebum removes himself from the kiss, earning a frown and a pout from Jackson which is easily erased when Jaebum starts peppering kisses along his jaw to his neck. Jaebum bruises his neck with hickeys, wishing it'll be visible for a whole year if it means people could know he's Jaebum's. Just the thought of another person touching Jackson suddenly makes him mad.

Jackson is panting from all this, but his eyes fleets towards Jinyoung and Mark who are still at the bar, talking. His mind suddenly straightens. "Jaebum."

"Hmm?" Jaebum doesn't even lift his head up to answer that, progressing to kiss Jackson's shoulder.

"I don't think we should do this."

"Mmm." Jaebum hums in response, leaving a trail of hickeys like Jackson's skin is his canvas. He moves back up to kiss Jackson's jaw and cheek. "What's wrong?"

"Well...we work together. This will just make things messy." Jackson says, but the way his body moves against Jaebum's contradicts it. "Plus we've only just met."

Jaebum only considers his first point, thinking how he didn't make a move on Mark when he first came because he knew workplace romance is a messy affair. Jinyoung was a thing of the past that both parties choose to pretend didn't happen. But Jackson...first of all, he has met Jackson a long time ago. He made a connection with Jackson that he's certain will never be topped by anyone else. If it doesn't work out with Jackson, he doesn't think he can start again with anyone else. He's more than certain about that. He shrugs and leans in to continue the kiss but Jackson leans back, removing his hands from around Jaebum. To say that Jaebum looks hurt is an understatement; he thinks impaling his heart with a knife would hurt less than Jackson rejecting him.

"Don't get me wrong, I'd fuck you in a heartbeat." Jackson starts, making Jaebum feel just a little bit better. "But I just-- you know it's not--"

Jackson struggles to put out the words he wants to say because the sight of a red faced Jaebum looking slightly hurt but mostly angry is just too distracting. He wants to kiss the frown away. And so he does. Jaebum smiles against the kiss and continues to pull Jackson so close to him that they can feel each other's heart beat. And also their raging hard-ons.

"Let's at least go back to my place." Jackson suggests, whispering it to Jaebum and pushing him away from the crowd. They stumble towards the bar, catching the other two teachers' attention.

"Looks like someone had more than one drink." Jinyoung chortles, earning a middle finger from Jaebum.

"I'll take him home, okay?" Jackson says, technically telling the truth. He didn't say which home.

 

xxxxx

 

_Jaebum cried. He has always thought it was weird and funnyhow he used to read about people crying after having orgasms, but this time it’s him. He puts his head in his hands and sobs, as if someone just told him his cat died or something. Jackson immediately sits up to wrap Jaebum in his arm, despite the odd situation they’re in. Just a second ago, having their bare bodies pressed against each other was hot and definitely one for the books, but now with Jaebum crying it just feels weird for two naked guys to be hugging. Jackson is a little unclear on what’s happening, but his main concern now is to keep Jaebum protected at all costs. He grabs his shirt and uses it to wipe Jaebum’s tears, which causes the older boy to let out a small laugh._

_“Are you okay?” Jackson asks, trying to hurriedly put on his boxers while also not leaving Jaebum’s side. “Did it hurt? I mean, I was supposed to hurt, but I think it went fine? JB?”_

_Jaebum isn’t able to say a word. He feels like bursting into a million particles, like a star. He feels weirdly content with himself right now, so content that he doesn’t mind disappearing for a bit. It touches him so much that he cries. “I think I like men.”_

_“What?” Jackson asks. Jaebum realizes that he had said that out loud, but in Korean. He repeats it in English for Jackson, in which he replies, “You…didn’t know before this?”_

_Shaking his head, Jaebum stands up and puts his boxers on. He says, “I like you.”_

_“I like you, too.” Jackson replies in Korean, making Jaebum laugh at the horrible pronunciation. “Don’t laugh, I had to pay your school mates to teach me that.”_

_Sitting on the bed next to Jackson, Jaebum looks down and smiles to himself. He always knew he’d lose his virginity sometime soon, but he never thought it’d be to Jackson. A Hong Kong boy he met only a few days ago. The thought of it is bizarre, but it makes perfect sense to them. “Do you have to leave?”_

_Wordless, Jackson nods and looks down as well. He desperately wants to stay and spend the rest of his life with Jaebum if he could, but that’d be too ridiculous, even to 16-year old Jackson. “If I come back, will you still be here?”_

_“I’ll wait right here.” Jaebum answers, resting an assuring hand on Jackson’s lap._

_Jackson leans in and presses a kiss on Jaebum’s bare shoulder before whispering to him, “Then I’ll come back.”_

_“Here.” Jaebum takes a ring off his finger and puts it on Jackson’s finger. “To remind you to come back.”_

 

xxxxx

 

Jaebum immediately crashes on the couch the moment Jackson unlocks the door to his house. The TV is still on, as Jackson couldn’t find the remote before he left the house and decided he’d turn it off when he comes back home. Dropping everything including the fact that he has Jaebum in his house right now, on the couch and wildly horny, Jackson’s sole focus is to find the damn remote. He bends down to check under the couch, but immediately springs back up when he feels his ass getting squeezed.

“Excuse me, I was searching for the remote control!” Jackson scolds him, making Jaebum laugh.

The older pulls Jackson on top of him, making him straddle his side. “Forget about it, it’s nicer to do it with background music anyways.”

“It’s folk music, though…” Jackson mutters, turning around to see that the TV is playing a Pansori show. Jaebum then grabs him by the neck and forces him to return his attention to the currently _very_ hungry Jaebum. Complying, Jackson wraps his arms around Jaebum’s neck as he starts grinding against the very clear bulge in Jaebum’s skinny jeans. Jackson mutters against his lips, “Shit, you’re gonna make another rip in your pants.”

“Take it off for me, then.” Jaebum tells him. Jackson climbs off of him and kneels before him, excited and eager. He reaches for the zipper and unzips it, revealing a peek of the prints of his briefs – Bart Simpson. Jackson chuckles at this and holds the sides, ready to pull it down.

“Lift your ass up, I can’t pull—“ Jackson looks up to see Jaebum’s head resting against the sofa, deeply asleep. Jackson’s mouth falls open – not to suck dick, but just shocked at how fast Jaebum fell asleep. “Are you fucking kidding me…”

On a lighter note, Jackson did finally find the remote stuck between to cushions and turns the TV off. He attempts to carry Jaebum to his room but he’s too heavy and so Jackson carries a blanket to him instead. As he tucks Jaebum in, he hears Jaebum wince in his sleep and mutter, “Don’t leave…again.”

“The couch doesn’t fit us both, though.” Jackson says to no one in particular, but realizes that Jaebum might just be dreaming about something because he starts snoring lightly. Jackson sighs resolutely. Kneeling by the couch, he brushes Jaebum’s hair against his forehead and smiles at the sight of it. “ _Now_ you look like JB.”

 

 

It has been months since Jaebum woke up with a hangover. He handles his liquor well, but the green thing they served at the club was something else. He fights the weight of the world and attempts to sit up. As he adjusts his eye sight, he realizes that he does not recognize the surrounding at all. Panicking just a little bit, he stands up and looks down to his pants unzipped. He runs a hand through his hair and sighs, “What did I do last night?”

Jaebum begins exploring the apartment house, hoping to see if he can find the owner somewhere. He finds what must be the master bedroom, and he stops dead in his tracks. Before him is unmistakably Jackson, sleeping calmly and curled on his side. Jaebum doesn’t think much and walks towards him, checking to see if the blonde is truly asleep. After seeing the apparent drooling going on, Jaebum decides to walk about the room. He slides the wardrobe door slightly, seeing the familiar white fencing uniform hung against his colorful sweaters. He then sits on the bed next to Jackson’s sleeping body, quietly as to not wake him up. Creepily but also understandably sweet, Jaebum touches Jackson’s hair and softly caresses it.

“Maybe it’s better if we start over.” Jaebum quietly says to himself. He sighs at the sight of Jackson sleeping before him, something he never thought he’d see again. He removes his hand when he sees something he hadn’t seen on Jackson since he came earlier this week. Around the blonde’s neck is a chain, which Jaebum noticed peeking out of his outfit several times, but this time it’s outside of his shirt. Hanging from it is, Jaebum is 100% certain, the ring he gave Jackson before he left.  

Eyelids heavy, Jackson slowly opens his eyes and sees a shocked Jaebum sitting next to him with his hand holding his necklace. “Are you trying to rob me?”

Startled as he had noticed that Jackson is awake, Jaebum lets go of the necklace. He stutters, “Y-you remember me.”

“Hmm? Yes, I’m sober now. You’re Jaebum.” Jackson groggily says, rubbing his eyes. “What time is it…geez I wanna go back to sleep.”

“Jackson, no!” Jaebum exclaims, shaking Jackson awake. He jumps on the blonde, straddling him this time. Jackson is visibly shocked, but slightly excited at what this may lead to. “You remember me! JB!”

The look on Jackson’s face right now is exactly the face Jaebum wish he saw when he first met Jackson earlier this week. Jackson sits up slowly and says, “You remember me…”

“Yes, that’s what I said.”

“N-no. I mean…you remember me?”

A little confused at how things are turning out, Jaebum states, “I knew who you were the moment I saw you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I knew you were Jackson the moment I saw you! The Jackson I met when I was 17!”

“I thought my blonde hair made me look different! You were treating me like I was some annoying new teacher!”

“I was acting like that because I thought you didn’t know who I was! I had blonde hair back then and I gained weight since so I thought you didn’t recognize me!”

“Stop shouting!” Jackson exclaims, grabbing Jaebum’s face with his hands. “Why would I even take up a teaching job in fucking Korea if it wasn’t to see you again? Jaebum, I really thought you were smarter than this.”

Laughing and clearly delighted at this turn of events, Jaebum imitates him and grabs Jackson’s face in his hands. “So I was wallowing sadness this whole week for nothing? You could’ve just told me when you introduced yourself.”

“I was scared I’d do something stupid like kiss you in front of the other teachers.” Jackson reasons.

“I wouldn’t mind.” Jaebum smirks.

Jaebum hugs Jackson as tight as he could, rolling on the bed and laughing. They spend the whole day in bed, not even fooling around but just saying how much they missed the other with Jackson in Jaebum’s arm. Jackson tells him how he was supposed to feel sad about his injury but decided to use that excuse to come to Korea and start over with Jaebum. Jaebum tells him how he was ready to continue and pretend he doesn’t remember Jackson and start their relationship all over again. Jackson of course tells him how he fell asleep right before a blow job and Jaebum asks if the offer is still up. Jackson grins.

In the midst of it all, they fail to hear the sound of Jinyoung and Mark entering through the unlocked front door. Concerned that neither Jackson nor Jaebum were answering their calls, they took the liberty to check up on them. What greets them when they entered the master bedroom… _yeah. Let’s not._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> went through a lot of struggles writing this so i hope y'all liked it and if so do comment! thank you for reading <3


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